


Clean Out The Ghosts

by Kyuubiluver342



Category: Naruto
Genre: M/M, Seme Uchiha Sasuke, Uchiha Massacre, Uchiha Sasuke-centric, Uke Uzumaki Naruto
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-07
Updated: 2019-06-07
Packaged: 2020-04-12 02:04:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19122373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kyuubiluver342/pseuds/Kyuubiluver342
Summary: Sasuke never stepped foot in the other house in the compound. Naruto suggests it might be time and along the way, Sasuke learns to let go.





	Clean Out The Ghosts

 

Naruto stepped before the cell and gave a smile. Sasuke eyed him and frowned. Naruto’s smile didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“What do you want, dobe?” Sasuke asked coldly.

Naruto sat in the chair outside the cell and Sasuke frowned. Usually by now, Naruto would have gone into a whirlwind of conversation; telling him how the village was doing, how the construction was going, what missions he had been on. Instead, Naruto sat, staring at his hands like something was wrong. The hair on the back of his neck was standing on end.

“Dobe?” Sasuke asked.

"Would you come to my funeral?" Naruto asked suddenly.

It was as if the very air had been sucked out of the room. He stared blankly at Naruto, eyes narrowed.

“What the fuck does that mean?” Sasuke demanded.

“It’s just a question, teme. Would you come to my funeral, yes or no?” Naruto asked again, but still wouldn’t look at him.

Sasuke grit his teeth. He could already tell this was a conversation he didn’t want to have.

“And if I said no?” Sasuke replied.

Naruto paused and nodded, as if he had expected as much.

“What is this about?” Sasuke demanded.

He was getting nervous. Naruto didn’t ask questions like this without a reason. Naruto chuckled and looked at him.

“You seem nervous, teme. Don’t tell me a simple question is enough to break the Uchiha mask.” Naruto chuckled.

Sasuke leaned back in his seat and stared. There was nothing humorous about this and Naruto knew it. A part of him just wanted to scream at the idiot and demand to know what was going on. Instead, Naruto just sighed, as if he were wary and spoke.

“I just...needed to know.” Naruto muttered.

“Dobe, if this is your idea of a joke.” Sasuke hissed.

Naruto just smiled at him before he left. Sasuke watched him go and could only wonder.

 

The next time Naruto came, Sasuke could tell he looked paler than before. His usual sun kissed skin seemed almost transparent.

“What happened to you?” Sasuke asked.

Naruto just shrugged.

“Just working a lot. Had a lot of missions recently.” Naruto said simply.

Sasuke wasn’t convinced.

 

The dark circles under Naruto’s eyes were getting bigger and darker every time Sasuke saw him and Sasuke resisted the urge to tell him to go home and take a nap. Naruto would surely just laugh him off. He just glared at the floor to keep from looking at them.

 

Naruto stumbled on the last step and his knees hit the floor, making Sasuke start. Naruto knelt there for a second, panting, as if the short walk down the stairs had taken all his energy before he pushed himself to his feet. He swayed as he walked and his clothes seemed to hang off of him. Sasuke had never seen him look so sick.

“Dobe, even I can tell something is wrong with you.” Sasuke said coldly.

Naruto looked at him and even his eyes seemed hazy. Sasuke hated the look of weakness.

“They need my help. I can’t let them down.” Naruto replied.

“You are making yourself ill. Have you looked in a mirror recently? You look like you are about to die on your feet.” Sasuke hissed.

Naruto chuckled before coughing harshly. He covered his mouth and when he pulled his hand away, there was a small bit of blood dripping from his mouth.

“What the hell have you been doing to yourself, dobe!” Sasuke snarled.

Naruto looked up, as if dazed before looking at his hand again.

“Oh…” Naruto trailed off.

Sasuke grit his teeth.

“Guards! Help! Someone help!” he yelled.

The comotion immediately brought guards forward and when they saw Naruto, there was a mad scramble to get a medic and get Naruto to the hospital. As Naruto was taken away, all Sasuke could do was stare at the blood drops on the floor.

 

Tsunade was the next person he saw. She came down and sat in Naruto’s chair (why was it Naruto’s chair? Because he was the only one who ever used it). She seemed annoyed and wary.

“Naruto is fine. He needed some rest and food.” she started with. 

Sasuke tried to look bored and uninterested, but his eyes kept darting to the bloodstain on the floor.

“I’m only going to say this once and you better listen well; I need someone to keep an eye on Naruto. He is working himself to the brink to get the village back in order. I am going to give him a mission to watch over you so that he can take some time off and rest.” Tsunade stated.

“You want him to be my babysitter? You know he’s going to hate that.” Sasuke replied.

“And I don’t really give a good god damn if he does. He needs rest and he is refusing to take it. At least if he is watching you, I know he’ll stay in the village.” Tsunade said hotly.

“And what if I take his moment of weakness as a chance to escape?” Sasuke asked.

Her eyes narrowed.

“Then your life is mine. I will hunt you down myself and rip your dead heart out with my bare hands to hang on my wall. That is, if you still have a heart in that chest of your’s.” Tsunade growled.

She sighed after a moment and leaned back in the chair.

“You know it would crush him. You leaving. Again. Your death would most definitely destroy him. He would never be the same.” Tsunade said.

Sasuke looked down at the floor. Those bloodstains seemed to mock him. As if reminding him of another time Naruto had shed blood in his presence.

“I am giving you twenty four hours to think it over. If you agree, I can be a little lenient with your restrictions. If you don’t, then you can rot down here for all I care. I’ll just figure out someone else to help him.” Tsunade got up and crossed her arms.

She paused at the door before sighing.

“Several villages have made it clear they are willing to strike us while we are weak and Naruto will most certainly be a target. In his state, he wouldn’t be able to defend himself much less anyone else. Consider that before you say no.” she stated.

Sasuke watched her go before looking at the blood on the floor.

“Stupid, fucking dobe.” he muttered.

 

Sasuke stood in the Hokage’s office, watching as his chains were taken off. Tsunade sat behind her desk, Naruto standing next to her. He seemed somewhat stronger, but he still had the dark circles under his eyes.

“Now, as I explained before, Naruto will be keeping an eye on you from here on out. You are to stay in the village at all times. One toe outside the village and you will return to your cell for the rest of your life, got it?” Tsunade explained.

Sasuke nodded and she scowled.

“Yes, Hokage-sama.” he said and she nodded.

“O-Obaa-chan, why do I have to watch him?” Naruto muttered.

She sighed.

“I told you already, you are the only one who can handle him.” Tsunade replied.

Naruto sighed and rubbed his eyes.

“Fine.” he pouted.

“From here on out, you will be staying at the Uchiha Compound.” she continued.

Sasuke looked at her, startled. The Uchiha Compound? It was still intact?

“Eh? Why there?” Naruto asked.

“It has enough space for you two to live and not kill each other. At least you will have separate living spaces. Might even give me less of a headache.” Tsunade stated.

Naruto made a face.

“Now, you will also have two Anbu living with you.” Tsunade continued.

Sasuke resisted the urge to make a face as she droned on. Great, just how many people was he going to have to deal with?

“That is all for now. You two are dismissed.” Tsunade finished and Naruto nodded.

“Come on, teme. Might as well get started.” Naruto muttered as they left, Anbus following.

“Hn.” Sasuke replied.

They walked to the compound, ignoring the harsh stares and whispers from all around them. Sasuke was seeing for the first time how badly damaged the village was and he had to admit, they had done some amazing work so far.

“I should really stop at home and get my stuff. Since I am going to be living with you now.” Naruto rubbed his chin.

“Actually, Uzumaki-san, all you stuff was moved already.” one of the Anbus said.

Naruto blinked.

“What, really? When?” Naruto asked.

“Yesterday afternoon.” the other replied.

Sasuke frowned, eyes narrowing. So Tsunade had believed Sasuke was going to say yes from the start. He hated the he had played right into her hands.

“That’s a little scary.” Naruto muttered.

“Hn.” Sasuke agreed.

They made it to the compound and Sasuke looked around. It had fallen into serious ruin since he had left. Paint was peeling, doors falling off and debris everywhere. Naruto whistled.

“Huh, maybe she sent us here to do yard work.” Naruto said as they walked.

Sasuke glanced at him. To be honest, he wouldn’t be shocked if she did. They made it to the main house and Sasuke paused. He remembered the night he left. Walking out the door with nothing to his name, but the clothes on his back and the vague idea he was going to get stronger thanks to the snake whispering in his ear. Now that he was standing in front of it again, all those feelings seemed so distant.

“Wow, no wonder you left.” Naruto muttered.

“Hn?” Sasuke asked.

“It’s so gloomy and dreary. God, I think anyone would go mental.” Naruto said.

Sasuke gave him a glare as they stepped inside. It hadn’t been cleaned in years, the place covered in dust. Naruto eyed the closed curtains on the window before walking over. Sasuke watched him in alarm.

“What are you doing?” Sasuke demanded.

“Relax. This place just needs a little sunlight is all.” Naruto said throwing open the curtains.

Sasuke paused. He hadn’t opened those curtains since the day before his parents died. To see them open was almost too much. He considered walking over and closing them again, but something made him pause. The light coming in made Naruto almost glow. Sasuke swallowed hard.

“See? Much better!” Naruto said with a smile.

It wasn’t much, but admittedly it did make the room look a bit better. Naruto started to wander around, kicking up dust and making Sasuke sneeze.

“We are going to have to do some major cleaning.” Naruto said.

“Hn.” Sasuke replied.

He walked towards the bedroom before pausing. He stared at Itachi’s bedroom door before shaking his head and continuing on.

“So what room is your’s?” Naruto asked as he followed.

“The one at the end.” Sasuke said pointing.

“Oh, so where should I stay?” Naruto asked.

Sasuke paused. Where should Naruto stay? The idea of putting him in his parent’s room was a big no. It was the last place he could smell his mother’s perfume and his father’s cigarettes. He eyed Itachi’s room.

“For now, just sleep in my room until we get everything figured out.” Sasuke replied.

Naruto nodded and they walked into Sasuke’s room. It hadn’t changed a day and Sasuke paused at the doorway. His bed was neat and all put together. Everything was in its place. Sasuke stared at the room before him before Naruto spoke.

“You know, I never considered what your room was like, but this definitely matches.” Naruto said as he walked inside.

Sasuke rolled his eyes as Naruto sat down on the bed and was engulfed by a cloud of dust, making him cough loudly.

“Oh yeah, we definitely need to clean.” Naruto muttered as he stood up.

“I suppose we should get started.” Sasuke replied.

Naruto nodded and with a puff, three clones appeared.

“Alright, for right now, we’ll clean inside and get everything in order. You, take the kitchen, clean out any moldy food! You, focus on the living room! You, check to see if any of the pipes need replacing!” Naruto started giving commands and the clones ran off.

“I don’t even know if I have any cleaning supplies.” Sasuke admitted.

One of the Anbus coughed.

“Hokage-sama told us to give you this?” he said handing over a scroll.

A quick check showed it was full of cleaning supplies. Sasuke ignored the part of him that felt a little annoyed by her.

“Let’s focus on this room, ok?” Naruto asked as he pulled off his jacket and hung it up.

Naruto’s arms were a sight and Sasuke was momentarily distracted as Naruto ripped the sheets off the bed, arms flexing.

“We might need to ditch these and just get new. They are probably disgusting.” Naruto said making a face.

“I have more than one set you know. We’ll just change them out for the other ones.” Sasuke replied as he started to take things off the shelf and dust them.

“What do you need more than one set for?” Naruto asked confused.

Sasuke paused as he dusted off the old picture of Team Seven before looking at Naruto.

“You only have one set of sheets for your bed?” Sasuke asked.

“Well yeah! I wash them and put them back on and when they get really stained, that’s when I get new. Who needs more than one set of sheets?” Naruto replied giving his pillow a look.

Sasuke decided to keep his opinion to himself. They continued to clean out the room, Naruto making sure to open the windows to get some air and light in and Sasuke was kind of shocked they weren’t rusted shut.

“Your bed might need some work.” Naruto said as he checked underneath, eying the structure.

“I’m sure it’s fine.” Sasuke replied.

Naruto sat down and the bed immediately gave away, causing Naruto to yelp as it hit the floor. Sasuke blinked.

“Or not.” he muttered.

“Ok, haha, help me up, teme!” Naruto yelled.

Sasuke walked over and pulled him out of the collapsed bed. Naruto shook himself off and scowled.

“That sucked. At least your mattress is ok.” Naruto said.

They managed to get the broken bed out the door and to the corner of the compound before Naruto complained that he was hungry. Sasuke, of course, had no food in his house, according to the Naruto clone, so they left the compound and headed for town. They stopped at Ramen Ichiraku’s stand and Naruto grinned.

“Hey, old man!” he yelled.

The man smiled back.

“There’s my favorite customer! I was wondering when I would see you next!” he laughed.

“Sorry, been busy.” Naruto said as they sat down.

Teuchi eyed Sasuke for a moment before pulling out two bowls.

“You two look famished. Here, these two are on the house.” he said.

“Thanks! You’re the greatest!” Naruto said excitedly.

Sasuke just raised an eyebrow before he dug in. He never understood Naruto’s obsession, but as they sat there and ate, Naruto chatted with the owner and his daughter like they were lifelong friends. He knew Naruto came here pretty regularly, but he never realized how close they were. After they finished, Naruto left a pretty good tip as they walked out. Naruto rubbed his belly, smiling with delight.

“You three seemed close.” Sasuke mentioned.

“Huh? Well yeah, if it weren’t for them, I would have starved as a kid.” Naruto replied.

Sasuke looked at him. Naruto looked down, scratching his cheek.

“They were the only ones who really allowed me in their shop. Everyone else would kick me out or not let me in. They welcomed me and even when I didn’t have the money, would treat me. I can’t imagine how much I actually owe them, but they were always so kind to me.” Naruto admitted.

Sasuke frowned. He had never considered that. After his clan was killed, many shops gave him things for free simply because he was the last Uchiha and they felt bad for him. He had never considered that Naruto might not have been welcome in the same stores he had.

“Where do we go from here?” Naruto asked.

“I suppose we should get some groceries.” Sasuke replied.

“Yeah, we still have plenty of cleaning to do, but we should get some food now that the kitchen is cleaned out.” Naruto muttered.

They walked over to the nearest market and got some food before heading back to the compound. While they were gone, the clones had continued to clean the house and now it was a lot less dusty than before. As Naruto helped carry some trash out to the growing pile on the lawn, Sasuke had to wonder when the last time it had looked this clean. He certainly hadn’t bothered cleaning while he had lived there. A ping came to his heart when he realized he had let his family home fall to ruins. His mother would have been ashamed.

“Apparently they found some pipes that might need replacing, but other than that, there was only a lot of dust.” Naruto stated as the clones popped away.

Sasuke looked around. A lot of the furniture was old and would need to be replaced, but that was a task for another day. As Sasuke sat down in a chair, he was pleased that no dust came up to greet him. Naruto stretched and rolled his shoulders, Sasuke watching as the sweat rolled down his back.

“Over all, I think we did a pretty great job today! We’ll have to see how the others are.” Naruto commented.

Sasuke froze.

“Others?” he asked.

“Yeah, the other houses!” Naruto said.

Sasuke found himself spiraling. He hadn’t stepped foot in another house since the massacre. Not even to check on them. They had been sealed up tight, no one allowed in, no spirits allowed out. He had never even considered checking on them.

“..suke? Sasuke!” Naruto’s voice broke through his haze and he looked up to see Naruto leaning over him, eyes worried.

“You ok? You got really pale and started to shake.” Naruto asked after a moment.

Sasuke nodded slowly.

“I...The other houses. I haven’t been in any of them in years.” he admitted.

“What? Really?” Naruto asked as he stepped back.

Sasuke nodded.

“I tried...after the massacre, but I couldn’t even get past the doorway. It was too much.” he whispered.

Naruto sat down and his eyes were soft, but they weren’t pitying. They were just open. Had Sasuke ever told anyone else this? He didn’t think so.

“Do you want to then? It doesn’t matter to me one way or the other. This is your family compound.” Naruto said.

It seemed hard to think about and yet, as he looked around the house they were sitting in, he couldn’t imagine how much worse the other houses looked. God, his family would have been so upset to see their beautiful compound falling to ruins because of him. Naruto leaned over and looked at him.

“Hey, don’t push yourself ok? If you don’t want to, we can hold off for now. We can wait until you are ready. You don’t always need to be emotionless, you know.” Naruto said.

“Since when did you get so wise?” Sasuke choked out.

Seriously, since when did Naruto understand things like this? Then again, Naruto had always understood him best. There was a long stretch of silence and then he spoke.

“Tomorrow...I want to at least go to my aunt’s house.” he replied.

Naruto nodded.

“Then we’ll just got and peek around, ok?” Naruto said smiling and Sasuke let out a breath.

Yes, that was simple. Just go and look. He used to do that all the time. When it was the middle of the night and he couldn’t sleep, he would just get up and wander around, looking at the houses from afar, try to imagine a time when the lights would have been on and family he knew and loved were inside. When he could have gone there when he was mad at his mom or dad or brother, gone and just stayed there, surrounded by their love until he was ready to go home.

He stood up and rubbed his eyes. He needed a shower, he needed some time to clear his head. He left the room and Naruto let him without a word. He went to the bathroom and just started the shower. It took awhile for it to even start, but when it did, he didn’t bother waiting for the temperature to adjust. The water was bitterly cold, but it helped clear his head. When he was done, he went to grab a towel, but they were all missing.

“Naruto, where the hell are my towels?” he yelled.

“The clones said they were disgusting! I had them thrown out!” Naruto replied.

He scowled.

“Well, idiot, what do I use to dry myself then?” he demanded opening the door.

Naruto was standing there, an absolutely ugly, bright orange towel in hand.

“I brought some of mine! You can borrow it!” he said happily.

Sasuke just stared at him.

“I’ll just got without.” he replied as he slammed the door shut.

Naruto let out an angry yell and Sasuke shook his head with a smile. A little while later, after a fire jutsu and some simple air drying, Sasuke moved to his room and then paused. He didn’t even really have any clothes to change into. He opened his drawers and made a face. Nothing in here would fit him whatsoever. He closed them and scowled, what the hell was he supposed to do now?

“Oi, teme. You done?” Naruto called.

“I would be if I had any clothes.” he replied.

The door opened a bit and some clothes were dropped inside. Just a white shirt and a pair of black shorts. Sasuke raised his eyebrows.

“Where did you get these?” he called as he changed.

“Got them a while back. Never wore them.” Naruto replied.

He stepped into the main room to find Naruto humming as he stood in the kitchen. He could smell something cooking.

“Hungry again?” Sasuke asked.

Naruto jumped a bit, startled.

“Well, yeah! We did a lot of hard work, especially my clones! So when they went away, their hunger became mine!” Naruto replied.

Sasuke paused when he actually looked at what Naruto was wearing. He must have taken a shower because his hair was wet, but all he wore was an apron and a simple pair of white pants. Sasuke’s head snapped to the side, trying to hold back his blush.

“You can make more than ramen?” he asked.

Naruto glared.

“I like ramen, but yes, I can. Teme.” Naruto huffed.

Sasuke looked over his shoulder and was, admittedly, impressed.

“You’d make a good housewife.” he said as he sat at the table.

He moved out of the way as Naruto threw a knife at his face.

“ASSHOLE! NOW YOU GET NOTHING!” Naruto yelled.

Sasuke just rolled his eyes as he played with the knife. Anyone else would have been nervous, him having a weapon like this, but Naruto ignored him. In fact, he started humming along to some random tune, bopping his head and dancing stupidly. It was strange, it was weird and yet Sasuke had never felt so calm. Naruto ended up making two plates anyway and Sasuke was impressed by the taste.

“Not a word.” Naruto said glaring and Sasuke just smirked.

“Whatever you say. Housewife.” Sasuke smirked.

The sun was setting and Sasuke was exhausted. His muscles ached in a way he had never felt and as he fell into bed, there was a comfort in knowing that, for the better, things had changed.

“Good night, Sasuke.” Naruto muttered on the floor.

“Hn.” Sasuke replied as his eyes slide shut.

 

The next day, Sasuke was up bright and early. Naruto was still snoring away on the floor, sprawled out like some sort of octopus and Sasuke was fine with just staring at him. He sat and he watched as Naruto rolled over before smacking his lips and opening his eyes. When he saw Sasuke staring, he blinked.

“Morning.” Naruto yawned.

“Morning.” he replied evenly.

Naruto rolled over and got up, his hair messier than usual. He got off the floor and stretched, scratching his ass as he walked out of the room.

“Truly a charmer.” Sasuke muttered as he got up.

Naruto moved towards the bathroom as Sasuke moved to the kitchen. As Sasuke started to prepare food for breakfast, he heard something odd and looked up. A small white bird sat outside the window and Sasuke paused. Something so small, so simple and yet, Sasuke couldn’t remember the last time he had seen a bird like this anywhere near the compound. Hell, silence had been his constant companion when at home. He had never seen so much as a rat while walking around.

The bird flew off and Sasuke was left standing there, calm, but curious. Naruto broke the silence as he walked into the room, yawning loudly. Sasuke sighed and grabbed the two bowls of food before handing one off.

“Thanks.” Naruto said rubbing his eye.

Sasuke was pleased to see that the dark circles under his eyes were getting smaller.

“So what’s the plan?” Naruto asked and Sasuke paused.

“Let’s clean out the garden for now. Maybe we can get this place to look a bit better.” Sasuke said simply.

They finished their food and gathered their things before heading outside. Naruto made two new clones that started to check out the roof and foundation for any additional issues. Meanwhile, Naruto and Sasuke focused on the garden. The weeds were as high as Sasuke’s waist and just as thick. They started to rip them out, taking the time to check to make sure they didn’t cause any issues for the soil underneath.

It was hard work and Sasuke found himself sweating heavily. They took a small break to see how far they made it and groaned.

“Man, it’s like a jungle.” Naruto wiped the sweat off his forehead.

“Can’t you just make more clones?” Sasuke asked.

“I could, but then when they all come back to me, I’ll be too sore to do anything tomorrow. Best to just do what we can little by little.” Naruto said.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

“Since when did you learn not to take the easy way out?” Sasuke muttered.

“Since I learned that doing that only causes more problems later. Besides, more hands don’t always make a job easier.” Naruto replied.

They got back to work and soon enough, they had half the yard done. Sasuke could feel the sun on his neck and knew he would be burnt tomorrow. He thought about it suddenly. He had seen Naruto pretty much naked and he had a tan all over his body. Did that mean, at one point or another, Naruto had tanned nude? Sasuke nearly tripped over his own feet he was so distracted by the thought.

“Oi, teme, what’s wrong with you?” Naruto asked as he looked up.

“Nothing, just a root.” Sasuke muttered quickly.

Naruto gave him a look, but returned to weeding. They stopped around early afternoon, the yard completely done.

“Whew! We did it!” Naruto said sitting on the front porch.

Sasuke looked around and nodded. It did looking amazing now that all the weeds were gone. Sure, it would still need some help, but he was amazed by how much that changed everything. As he looked around, his eyes stopped on one particular clan symbol. The crack in the dead center told a story and he stared.

“Sasuke?” Naruto asked.

“That symbol...do you know how it got a crack in it?” he asked.

Naruto looked over.

“No, how?” he asked.

“Itachi did it. While arguing with my father and some clan members. I remember getting a feeling of foreboding when he did that.” Sasuke said leaning against the wall.

Naruto was quiet, staring at the mark before he spoke.

“The first time I met Itachi, I was so scared.” Naruto whispered.

Sasuke looked at him. He had never considered that naruto would be scared of Itachi.

“I was traveling with...Ero-Sennin.” Naruto’s voice caught and Sasuke let him have a moment.

“When he knocked on my door, I didn’t even think twice about opening it, thinking it was Jiraiya coming back from his ‘research’.” Naruto smirked and then it died.

“But when I saw him, I froze. I didn’t know who he was or what to do. I just stared into his eyes and I just remember thinking ‘He looks so much like Sasuke’.” Naruto trailed off.

Sasuke turned back to the wall.

“When I saw him and you, I was so scared. I was angry, but I was also terrified that he was going to take you away. When I learned why he was there, my anger won out.” Sasuke said and Naruto nodded.

“I had nightmares.” Naruto whispered.

Sasuke blinked.

“About him. About him coming to get me. About him killing you. He became my worst nightmare and when I learned he was the one you left the village for, the one you wanted to kill, I was so scared I wouldn’t be strong enough to stop you. That you would go and fight and die.” Naruto admitted.

Sasuke sighed and closed his eyes.

“He almost did.” Sasuke said.

Naruto looked at him, eyes wide. Somewhere nearby, a crow let out a caw before flying off.

“When we finally fought...it was nothing like I thought it was going to be. Everything I had worked for, everything I had sacrificed and in the end, the fight ended because his illness killed him first. I learned that, while fighting me, he was practically blind. If he hadn’t been sick, I doubt I would have won.” Sasuke said.

Naruto nodded before looking at the symbol on the wall. He swallowed and shifted nervously and Sasuke glanced down, uncertain of what Naruto was going to say next.

“Do you want to check out the other house now?” he asked finally.

Sasuke paused, eyes drifting away before he nodded.

“Yes.” he muttered.

They got up and started towards the other house. When they got in about fifty feet of it, Sasuke stopped. God, it was even worse than he had thought. The weeds were so bad, he couldn’t even see the house. He swallowed and closed his eyes. His aunt had always been a prim and proper housewife. She had never been a ninja, but her husband had been his father’s right hand man. 

Her garden had always been perfect, her house neat and in order and when Sasuke used to come over there as a child, she used to make him food and tell him stories about their clan and how amazing they were. She had always been excited for the day she became a mother herself. Itachi had cut her down before her dream came true.

He opened his eyes and stared, stared at the building and then took a step forward. Naruto was quiet, hands in his pockets as they got closer. Sasuke stopped again outside the front door and placed his hand on the handle.

“Just breath, Sasuke.” Naruto said and he nodded.

The door slide open with some difficulty, but as the front hall was revealed to them, he could almost imagine Sasaki Uchiha turning the corner, smiling at them with a soft call of “Sasuke-kun! What a surprise!” It was almost enough to send him to his knees, but a gentle hand on his shoulder kept him standing. He took a step inside and looked around. The entrance was exactly the same as what he remembered, Sasaki’s shoes still neatly placed by the door.

He took another step until he could see into the living room and paused. Staring at the wall, he could feel his eyes watering. The bloodstain was still visible. Even after all this time and dust to cover it up, the brown stain was still one hundred percent visible. He could only imagine how scared she had been. From what he remembered, she had been the first victim after his brother had entered the compound that night.

He could picture her opening the door, smiling at Itachi, having no idea what cruel fate he had in store for her. Naruto was quiet by his side and he was thankful because he wasn’t sure he could have done this alone. He took a deep breath and kept going. The rest of the house was as he remembered it, everything exactly as Sasaki would have wanted it.

“Are you ok?” Naruto asked as they finished walking around.

They stepped outside and Sasuke looked up at the sky before nodding.

“I want to check out the other ones.” he said and Naruto frowned.

“Are you sure? We have plenty of time.” Naruto stressed.

Sasuke frowned and nodded.

“I need to.” he admitted.

They went from house to house, opening each one and walking around. Outside, the world had changed, bloodstains on the ground had faded with time, but inside each house was like a mini time capsule. Sasuke saw, with his own two eyes, where each member of his family died and Naruto was there the whole time, watching over him to make sure it wasn’t too much. When they exited the last house, it was almost dinner time and Sasuke was mentally exhausted, but emotionally free. Like the chains on his heart had finally broken.

“We should get something to eat. I had my clone stay at the house and make dinner.” Naruto said, rubbing the back of his neck.

Sasuke wasn’t even sure he was hungry, but food did sound nice. They returned to the main house and Sasuke sat down at the table, staring at the wall. He just needed a moment to think. Naruto walked into the kitchen and he could hear Naruto muttering to himself, though he wasn’t sure what he was saying. Naruto came out with two bowls and just sat down, eating slowly. Sasuke’s eyes narrowed. Naruto never ate slowly.

“What are you thinking about?” Sasuke asked.

Naruto blinked and looked over at him, pausing mid-chew. He swallowed and looked down.

“I was jealous of you.” Naruto said.

Sasuke frowned.

“Jealous.” Sasuke parroted.

“That you had a family once and I didn’t. To know someone was waiting at home for you. To know that someone would be concerned if you were missing. I never had that. No one was ever concerned where I was unless I was making mischief.” Naruto played with his food a bit.

“You can’t miss what you never had.” Naruto sighed.

Sasuke stared at him.

“I was jealous of you that you never had to feel this way.” Sasuke replied.

Naruto looked startled.

“I was jealous that you never had a family, so you never really knew what it was like for it to be taken away.” Sasuke scowled.

“But I did know. Because you were my family.” Naruto stated.

Sasuke sighed.

“We are really getting sappy today, dobe.” Sasuke muttered and Naruto barked out a laugh.

“Can you blame us? I’m sore as hell and exhausted.” Naruto said laying his head on the table.

Sasuke could admit that his whole body ached.

“Let’s just go to bed.” Sasuke said as he stood up.

They cleaned up before returning to Sasuke’s room. As Naruto crawled into the blankets he had on the floor, he happened to see the Team Seven photo and paused.

“Would you go back and redo it if you could?” Naruto asked.

Sasuke glanced at the picture and frowned.

“There’s a lot of things I would redo.” Sasuke said.

Naruto nodded and laid back down before closing his eyes. Sasuke lay, staring at the ceiling until his eyes grew heavy.

 

The next morning, Sasuke was awaken by a pounding on the door. He slowly sat up, scowling as Naruto got to his feet. He could hear Naruto talking to one of the Anbu guards before he came back. He looked upset.

“Obaa-chan needs to see me. I’ll be back, ok?” Naruto said.

Sasuke blinked before nodding. Naruto got changed and left, leaving Sasuke alone. The Anbu presence suddenly seemed more noticeable and he wonder how many they had added to keep an eye on him. He focused on cleaning the main house, taking note to see what needed to be replaced. Naruto was right, the only major thing was the pipes that he could find.

Morning turned to afternoon and then early night, but Naruto never came back. Sasuke found himself distracted as the day wore on, wondering when Naruto would return. He made food, but he ate very little of it, not really hungry, but knowing he had to eat. When night finally fell and the moon sat high in the sky, he thought about simply going to bed, but he ended up sitting on the porch, watching the stars. He heard footsteps and looked up to see Naruto coming his way. He looked pale.

“Been gone all day, dobe. Something happen?” Sasuke asked, trying to sound indifferent.

Naruto just sat down next to him and looked at the stars. Sasuke frowned at the silence, but left it alone. They went to bed that night with Naruto having never said a word.

 

Days passed and Naruto never said anything about the day he left. When Sasuke asked, Naruto would change the subject or just go quiet. It was driving him mad not to know what was going on. They continued to clean out the houses, taking them one day at a time. Sometimes, they just did weeding. Other times, they went inside and cleaned out the dust and dirt in one room. Naruto insisted on it just being the two of them, so the cleaning went slowly. It was hard, but Sasuke realized that as each room became cleaner, as each garden that was stripped of weeds, he found himself sharing some small stories with Naruto.

Naruto would just listen, laugh or nod along as he spoke, each word carefully considered. It was as if each time he spoke about them, he could feel the houses getting lighter, the compound getting brighter. As each room was cleaned out and light was able to come back into them, he was able to let go of the pain of that loss. Sure, it still stung when he spoke about certain members, but it was getting easier.

“You seem calmer.” Naruto said one night as they sat, staring at the stars. 

It had seemed to become their favorite pastime after a hard day of cleaning. They had two, maybe three houses left before they were done and Sasuke wondered what they would do after that.

“I feel it.” He replied.

Naruto smiled and leaned back, laying on the porch as they sat there. Naruto closed his eyes and sighed.

“Tsunade...asked me to pick the next host.” Naruto whispered.

Sasuke’s head snapped around, eyes wide. Naruto opened his eyes and they were watering.

“She said...it’s best to be prepared. Just in case something happened to me.” Naruto trailed off.

“That’s why you asked about the funeral.” Sasuke said.

“Yes, but...I can’t do it.” Naruto said.

“I can’t...ruin another child’s life. I can’t take away their future like that. I can’t destroy a life like that. I just...can’t.” Naruto hiccuped.

Sasuke reached out and ran his fingers through Naruto’s hair and that seemed to break the dam. Naruto sobbed harshly, his voice cracking. Sasuke swallowed his own fear, his own tears and just let Naruto have his moment of weakness. Naruto started to calm down eventually and he stared at the sky.

“I’ve spoken to Kurama about it.” he said, placing a hand on his seal.

“And?” Sasuke asked.

“He doesn’t know what to do. He admits that, if released, he is not sure what he would do or where he would go. He would most certainly be attacked by other villages so they could capture him.” Naruto admitted.

Sasuke looked down. That was true. Power like that would never just be left alone. There would always be someone after it for themselves. Sasuke knew that all too well.

“And if I die, he can’t die with me. The whole world would be thrown off balance.” Naruto sighed.

“So you have no choice.” Sasuke muttered.

Naruto swallowed hard and nodded.

“There’s a good chance that if I don’t pick someone, they will just pick them for me when the time comes. I can’t let that happen either.” Naruto looked at Sasuke and paused.

“Can you promise me something?” Naruto asked.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

“What is it?” he replied.

“Keep me alive. Even if I don’t have any arms or legs. Even if I have no mental functions at all, just keep me alive.” Naruto said.

Sasuke jerked back as if burned.

“Are you insane? You would rather be stuck on this earth is a weak, useless body than die? Since when!” Sasuke snapped.

“Since that will solve the problem. Kurama swore to never try to escape as long as my body was still technically alive. As long as my heart is beating, he will stay with me.” Naruto explained.

“So what? You’ll be trapped, Naruto. You will never move on to the next life. You’ll never see anyone on the other side. It will just be you and the Kyuubi forever.” Sasuke said. 

Naruto chuckled.

“Then, that’s what it has to be.” Naruto replied.

Sasuke shot to his feet.

“I refuse. Find someone else to make that promise to you.” Sasuke said as he went inside the house.

Naruto never came inside that night and the next morning, when Sasuke got up, he found Naruto laying in the exact same place Sasuke had left him in the night before. They didn’t speak about it again.

 

Another room done and Naruto rubbed his eyes, face flushed with heat. A heat wave had hit Konoha this morning and the sun was unbearable, even in the shade.

“We should stop for now, this heat is insane.” Sasuke said as he got up.

“It’s hot.” Naruto whined as they moved back towards the main house.

“Dobe, saying ‘it’s hot’ doesn’t make it any colder.” Sasuke grumbled.

God, living these past few years underground had made him forget how bad Konoha’s heat waves could be. He felt like he was melting. At least working outside had given him a nice tan.

“Yeah. Well….shut up.” Naruto muttered as they stepped inside.

“Amazing comeback.” Sasuke rolled his eyes.

Naruto groaned as the air conditioning hit him. He threw himself into the nearest chair and slumped down.

“Feels so good. God.” Naruto moaned.

Sasuke felt himself blushed before coughing.

“You are acting like this is a big deal.” Sasuke muttered.

“Well, when you grow up in an apartment with no air conditioning, this feel like heaven.” Naruto replied.

“None?” Sasuke asked startled.

“None, it was broken before I ever even moved in and they just never fixed it, no matter how much I asked.” Naruto admitted.

He thought back to some of the scorchers they had as kids and winced.

“That must have been awful.” he stated.

“It was, but hey, made me the man I am today!” Naruto said brightly.

“A guy who whines about the heat? Yeah, seems like it.” Sasuke smirked.

Naruto just flipped him off.

“It’s too hot to think of a good comeback, teme.” Naruto said.

“As if you ever can.” Sasuke replied.

“I swear to god, I will…” Naruto growled, shaking his fist.

A knock came to the door and they both paused, looking at each other before Naruto got up.

“Coming!” he called.

Sasuke heard the door open as he stepped into the kitchen, full intent on getting something to eat when he heard Naruto yell.

“Sakura-chan! And Ino? What are you guys doing here?” Curious, Sasuke returned to the other room.

Sakura and Ino stood on the front step, dressed casually. Naruto was grinning from ear to ear.

“Hey, Naruto...Sasuke.” Sakura said, nodding her head in greeting.

Sasuke leaned against the wall, arms crossed.

“What are you guys doing here?” Naruto repeated.

“We came to make sure you two didn’t kill each other. No one has really seen either of you around much.” Ino explained.

Sasuke blinked. Now that she said it, neither of them (besides Naruto’s clones) had left the compound in almost a month. They had been so focused on their cleaning, Sasuke had totally forgotten. Naruto rubbed the back of his neck.

“We’ve been cleaning.” he said.

The two looked at each other.

“Cleaning?” Ino replied.

“Yeah, the other houses. There are a lot of them.” Naruto said as he invited them in.

Sasuke considered reminding Naruto that this wasn’t his house, that Sasuke was still in charge, but he gave up on that fight before it started. Ino sat down, but Sakura decided to stand.

“Well, that’s nice of you, I guess.” Ino said uncertain.

She seemed not to know whether she should speak directly to Sasuke or not. It was a bit uncomfortable.

“Naruto.” Sakura started.

He looked at her.

“Yeah?” he asked.

Sakura shifted nervously.

“We actually came because Tsunade-sama wanted to speak to you.” Sakura said.

Naruto’s face fell and he looked down with a sigh. He left the room and came back in different clothes.

“I’ll be back.” he muttered before leaving.

The tension seemed to skyrocket and Sasuke sighed.

“What do you want?” he asked coldly.

Sakura coughed and straightened her back.

“I’m sure you know why Tsunade-sama wanted to talk to him.” Sakura stated.

Sasuke scowled and looked at the floor.

“He told me. She wants him to pick a new host.” Sasuke muttered.

“Sasuke...it’s more than that.” Ino said.

He glanced at her. She was a student of Tsunade's too, wasn’t she?

“There’s...more?” he asked cautiously.

Sakura and Ino glanced at each other.

“It’s the council. They weren’t happy Naruto was sent here to keep an eye on you. They want to send him back on missions. In fact, they want to triple the amount he had been going on.” Sakura stated.

“That’s insane. He’s one person.” Sasuke replied.

Ino and Sakura glanced at each other and Sasuke felt a pang in his chest. When had they gotten so close? Had he missed them changing their ways? Admittedly, he was pleased they weren’t tearing each other apart to get to him anymore, but he still had to wonder when it all changed.

“That’s why we want you to try and keep him here.” Ino explained.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

“You know forcing him to stay anywhere is impossible, especially if he thinks the village needs him.” Sasuke stated.

“That’s why we want you to convince him that you need him more. If there is anyone he would drop everything for, it’s you.” Sakura said.

“And how exactly do you expect that to work?” Sasuke asked boredly.

“Honestly, I don’t care if you have him replacing every roof in this compound. Just keep him here until things slow down.” Sakura demanded.

“Why is everyone so worried about him? Naruto’s not some fragile flower.” Sasuke said hotly.

“Sasuke….Naruto’s body is still weak after the war. He gave it his all and it almost completely drained him, which for someone with the chakra resources he has, that says a lot.” Ino replied.

“And yet, that was months ago. Why are you all still so worried?” Sasuke demanded.

Sakura sighed and sat down for the first time.

“Sasuke, when the war ended, Naruto ended up in the hospital. He was completely exhausted, his resources drained and his body weak. The worst part was that Naruto didn’t start to heal right away. In fact, he went almost three days before it kicked in. And even then, he was healing barely faster than a normal human. He was told to take it easy, but with the village in ruins, he jumped back into being a ninja right away.” Sakura smiled as she said this, affectionate and soft.

At one time, she would have talked about him like that. He pushed that thought to the back of his mind and continued listening.

“Everyone thought he was back up and running, but he wasn’t. His chakra levels were still very low and he was using it up faster than he was getting it back.” Ino continued.

Sasuke felt the room start to spin and he walked over to sit down. Sakura rubbed her eyes before sighing.

“Sasuke, before Naruto ended up in the hospital after you called for help, Naruto had almost died on a mission. He had promised to go directly to the hospital when he got back, but he went to see you instead.” Sakura whispered.

“Sasuke….Naruto is killing himself. He’s pushing himself too much and he knows it.” Sakura finished.

Suddenly, all those times he had asked Naruto to make more clones and Naruto had refused made sense. Naruto didn’t have the ability to make more than three right now, his levels were that low. All the times Naruto had pretty much passed out at night were because his body was trying to reclaim its energy. Naruto had never been good at chakra control and it was coming back to bite him in the ass.

“That son of a bitch.” Sasuke hissed, slamming his fist against the arm rest.

The two girls looked at each other.

“And the Kyuubi?” Sasuke asked.

“He is trying to help from what Tsunade-sama is telling me, but overflooding Naruto’s system right now would be a bad idea. He needs time to absorb it slowly.” Sakura stated.

“Time we don’t have.” Sasuke sighed.

“Yes. The council wants him back on missions soon, but if we can convince them and Naruto that staying here is best for everyone, then that will give Naruto the time he needs.” Ino explained.

Sasuke nodded his head. It was a sound plan and he could see the reasoning behind it all. Maybe Tsunade had known what she was doing after all.

“But for this to work, we need you.” Sakura demanded.

Sasuke locked eyes with her’s and she held them firm.

“He’s already staying here. It will be easier for you to keep him busy.” Ino stated.

“Fine.” Sasuke replied.

They stared at him.

“Oh.” Sakura muttered.

He raised an eyebrow.

“Oh what?” he asked.

“We umm thought it would take longer to convince you.” Ino admitted.

“I have no reason to see Naruto die from his own stupidity.” Sasuke replied.

“Thank you, Sasuke.” Sakura breathed.

It was like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Ino placed a hand on her arm and Sasuke was startled to see Sakura blush. So that explained it. Eventually, the two took their leave and Sasuke was left alone with his thoughts and yet, he was never truly alone with them. Naruto seemed to take up every space of his thoughts and just when he thought he was about to go mad, Naruto’s smile would flash across his mind’s eye. Naruto needed him, needed him more than anyone else.

 

“That promise.” Sasuke asked two days later.

Naruto had returned that night looking heartbroken and scared, but he hadn’t want to talk about it. So Sasuke had just left it alone, let him be alone with his fears.

“Hm?” Naruto replied as he peeled the grime from the wall. 

They were on the last few houses and had found that one of the roofs had caved in. It must have happened a while ago because they found a whole ecosystem living inside the house that they had to clean out. They had decided everything needed to be stripped to bare bones.

“The one you were talking about. About keeping you alive even when you’re brain dead.” Sasuke said ripping up the floor.

Naruto paused and looked back, nails in his mouth.

“Yeah?” Naruto asked.

“I’ll accept it if you make a promise to me in return.” Sasuke said simply.

Naruto looked startled, but nodded slowly.

“What is it?” Naruto asked.

“Until you’re one hundred percent better, no more missions. Period.” Sasuke stated, staring him down.

Naruto swallowed.

“What do you mean?” Naruto stuttered.

“Sakura and Ino told me everything, about your chakra supply, about your health, even about the fact that you were supposed to go to the hospital that day, but you came to see me instead. If you want me to take up that promise, you need to agree to this one. No matter how long it takes, until your body finally gets back to normal, no missions.” Sasuke demanded.

Naruto let out a deep sigh.

“People need me, Sasuke. The village needs me.” Naruto replied.

“And I need you.” Sasuke retorted. 

Naruto blinked as Sasuke got closer.

“Did you ever imagine how I would feel? Trapped in that cell, no idea what happened to you if you just never came back? What would have happened to Tsunade or Sakura or even Kakashi when they came down there and told me you were gone, dead? The one thing in this world that was my constant? Can you imagine?” Sasuke demanded.

Naruto’s tongue seemed to trip over his words and Sasuke pinned him against the wall, eyes narrowed.

“Dobe, you worked really hard to bring me back just to die on me. I don’t appreciate that. So as far as I am concerned, until you are better, you are not leaving my sight.” Sasuke replied.

“And who died and put you in charge!” Naruto snapped, flushing.

Sasuke leaned in, eyes spinning as he cupped Naruto’s cheek.

“What was it that they told us during the fight with Kaguya? Our paths are intertwined?” Sasuke asked.

“I don’t think they meant like this.” Naruto muttered, flushing deeper.

“And why not? You can’t seem to live without me.” Sasuke smirked.

Naruto grabbed his wrist and leaned in close, eyes on fire.

“And I could say the same about you, teme.” Naruto replied hotly.

“Let’s go.” Sasuke said.

They stumbled their way out of the house, leaving their tools behind as they hurried back to the main house. There, Sasuke slammed Naruto against the nearest wall and kissed him hard. There was no room for movement, no room to even breath as they pulled and tugged at each other’s clothes.

“Off.” Naruto demanded, pulling at Sasuke’s pants.

“Demanding.” Sasuke smirked.

“You know it.” Naruto winked.

Sasuke wasn’t sure what he was turned on by more: Naruto confidence or Naruto’s abs. He decided both were pretty great, only matched by Naruto’s ass which seemed to fit perfectly into his two hands.

“Like you were made for me.” Sasuke said and Naruto rolled his eyes.

“Cheesy, but I’ll take it.” Naruto said twisting them around.

They somehow ended on the floor, but Sasuke was too busy devouring Naruto’s skin to care. How could someone taste like sunshine Sasuke would never know. He did learn that Naruto’s nipples were sensitive and he made the hottest sounds when they were sucked on.

“Teme.” Naruto whined, eyes watering.

“Found a new weakness, Naruto.” Sasuke purred.

“Yeah well, I don’t think you can use this one in battle.” Naruto muttered.

“I can try.” Sasuke chuckled.

Naruto grabbed his head and smashed their lips together, nipping and licking with all the force of a hurricane. Sasuke found himself winded when Naruto pulled back. He seemed to have sucked all the air out of Sasuke’s lungs. Naruto licked his lips and Sasuke attacked them again. They managed to get to their feet, dressed only in a pair of boxers each before stumbling to Sasuke’s room.

Sasuke pressed Naruto down on the bed and smirked, eyes flashing. Naruto’s eyes seemed to be tinted with red as well, his marks flaring out a bit.

“Feeling a little wild there?” Sasuke asked as he bent down and gave Naruto’s thigh a nip.

“Just a little out of control.” Naruto growled.

“Good.” Sasuke muttered as he ripped the boxers off Naruto.

Everything was moving so fast and yet not fast enough. Sasuke’s desires hissed to claim what had always been their’s. Sasuke felt like a slave to those desires.

“Come on, teme. Or I might have to do something about it myself.” Naruto whined.

“Oh?” Sasuke asked, sitting back.

Naruto bit his lip before reaching down and stroking himself off. There was something so sexy about Naruto touching himself while Sasuke watched, but Sasuke’s urge to touch and claim overwhelmed him. Maybe they could play that game another time. Sasuke pounced and Naruto let out a low moan as Sasuke focused on Naruto’s cock.

“S-Sasuke!” Naruto begged.

Sasuke focused completely on making Naruto fall apart. It was incredibly satisfying to see Naruto struggle for words. He eventually pulled back before taking his own boxers off. Taking both of their dicks into his hand, he locked eyes with Naruto as he jerked them off. It was lewd, it sounded dirty, but it was the most amazing feeling in the world.

“S-Sasuke!” Naruto yelped as he came.

The sight of Naruto’s pleasured face (eyes watering, mouth open, drool running down his chin, that cute blush) sent Sasuke right over with him. They stayed locked in one position before Sasuke fell over, landing next to Naruto in the bed. They panted heavily, hearts pounding and when it finally started to slow down, Sasuke opened his eyes.

Naruto was staring at him, eyes so warm and blue he felt like he was drowning. Sasuke just smiled back and there was a simple silence that filled the room. Eventually, Naruto got up and crawled out of bed, finding that ugly orange towel to wipe them off with. When he was done, he tossed it into the corner and laid back down.

“Well, that was…” Naruto trailed off and Sasuke snorted.

“Can’t find the right word, dobe?” Sasuke asked.

“Excuse me, I just had my brains blown out through my dick, give me a second.” Naruto huffed.

Sasuke snorted and buried his face in his pillow, trying to stifle his laughter. Naruto started yelling next to him and it was warm, it was safe, it was comfortable and it was everything Sasuke had wanted since he lost everything. Naruto threw an arm over his waist and Sasuke did the same over Naruto’s. Their foreheads pressed together and Naruto let out a soft hum.

“Warm.” he muttered and Sasuke nodded.

“Go to sleep.” he replied.

Naruto’s light snoring started up soon enough and Sasuke pulled the sheets over them both. He wasn’t tired, but he continued to lay there, tracing over Naruto’s face with his eyes.

 

Sasuke looked up from the garden he was weeding, wiping the sweat from his chin when he heard yelling.

“Naruto! Sasuke! Where are you guys?” the voice called again.

“Over here!” Naruto replied from his place on the roof.

Sakura and Ino turned the corner, stopping at the sight of them both shirtless, but covered in dirt.

“Wow, you guys really have been working hard.” Ino stated.

“Yeah, this place looks amazing.” Sakura said, a basket in hand.

Naruto jumped down from the roof and smiled at them.

“Hey, what’s up?” he asked, walking over.

“You two look like you are hard at work.” Sakura said looking around, but Sasuke could see her peeking at Naruto’s arms.

“The roof needed some repairs.” Naruto said with a shrug.

“Why are you here?” Sasuke asked.

Sakura held up a basket.

“Hinata was getting everyone together for the festival tonight. We wanted to see if you guys wanted to go.” Sakura explained.

“Festival?” Naruto asked.

Ino nodded.

“Yeah, the Summer Festival, don’t tell me you forgot.” Ino said.

Sasuke and Naruto looked at each other. Neither of them had really gone into the village in a long time. Usually Naruto sent a clone out to do errands while they worked. They had been cut off from the main village for a while.

“I don’t know.” Naruto muttered, rubbing his neck.

Sakura’s face fell a little and Sasuke sighed.

“I could use a break.” he said simply.

Naruto looked at him, startled, but smiled.

“So, we can go?” Naruto asked excitedly.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

“I don’t see why not.” Sasuke said crossing his arms.

Naruto let out a yell and hugged Sasuke before running over to start talking to Sakura. Sasuke just blinked, startled, before he smiled.

 

Naruto smiled as they walked around the festival. He seemed overly excited if you asked Sasuke, but Sasuke just left him be. The festival was actually really amazing to look at. They must have gone all out.

“Wow, I can’t believe how amazing everything looks!” Naruto said with a gasp.

“They did do an incredibly job, huh?” someone said.

Turning, they found Chouji and Shikamaru standing there. Naruto smiled, delighted.

“Hey guys!” he said.

“Glad to know you two are still in one piece.” Chouji said between chips.

“They are adults, Chouji.” Shikamaru muttered.

“True, but when we were kids, we could practically hear you guys screaming at each other from across the village.” Chouji replied.

“Yeah, well, we’re better than that now.” Naruto said with a huff.

“Some of us are.” Sasuke replied.

“What! I am better!” Naruto snapped.

“You sure, dobe?” Sasuke smirked.

Laughter made them pause. Shikamaru was staring at them while Chouji laughed.

“You guys never change.” Shikamaru shrugged.

They started to walk around, all four of them. Shikamaru filled them in on some of the village updates and Sasuke had to admit, they had been out of the loop for a while. So much had changed.

“We saw Naruto’s clone running around, but not you guys. You get grounded or something?” Chouji asked.

“We were cleaning out the Uchiha compound.” Sasuke said.

Chouji seemed startled that Sasuke was the one to reply. Shikamaru just frowned.

“Cleaning out?” he asked confused.

“A lot of the houses haven’t been opened since...that night. They needed a lot of work.” Sasuke admitted.

“Oh, well why didn’t you say something? We could have helped.” Chouji stated.

Sasuke blinked.

“You would have?” Sasuke asked.

“Well, yeah. I mean I’m not the best, but I know how to use a mop.” Chouji replied.

“And beside, the more hands you have, the easier it is.” Shikamaru rolled his neck.

“I think...I needed to do it myself.” Sasuke said.

“That so?” Chouji muttered.

“It helped...with a lot of issues.” Sasuke said.

“I don’t think I have ever heard you talk so much.” Shikamaru admitted.

“Shikamaru.” Chouji hissed.

Shikamaru held up his hands.

“Just saying.” he replied.

Naruto laughed.

“I’ve been helping him break out of his shell!” Naruto said smirking.

“Thank god it’s you and not anyone else.” Chouji mock whispered to Sasuke.

Sasuke snorted as Naruto let out a yell. They continued to walk around, stopping to chat with different people and Sasuke had to admit it was...fun. It was nice to talk to Shikamaru, who always had a dry sense of humor. Chouji and Naruto seemed to enjoy eating their way around the festival and then it was time for fireworks.

They joined Shikamaru and Chouji on the roof of a nearby building, standing a little ways away. Naruto leaned in as the first firework went off.

“When you are ready to go, let me know.” Naruto muttered.

Sasuke nodded. He was feeling a little overwhelmed, but not in a bad way. Glancing over at Chouji and Shikamaru, he thought about all he had missed.

“I’m fine.” Sasuke stated.

The fireworks were amazing and Sasuke felt time slip away as they stood there, watching.

 

Naruto stretched his hands high above his head and sighed. It was pouring out today, so no cleaning could be done, but after the festival the night before, that was fine with them. A lazy day inside was just what they needed. Sasuke sat next to him, reading a scroll they had found while cleaning.

It had been hidden in some wall in one house and Sasuke had admitted to never seeing it before. They had taken it with them, wondering what was so important the clan had felt the urge to hide it. As Sasuke read it over, he paused and frowned.

“What is it?” Naruto asked.

“Directions. Along with what looks like a seal? Maybe?” Sasuke admitted.

“For what?” Naruto asked.

“I’m not sure.” Sasuke said laying it down.

Naruto leaned over and looked it over.

“It definitely looks like a seal of some kind.” Naruto said.

“You think so?” Sasuke mocked.

“Yeah, when I was traveling with Ero-sennin, he started to train me in seals and seal making. He said I have a knack for it.” Naruto muttered.

Naruto studied the seal they were staring at and frowned. The more he read, the more he was having trouble understand what the seal was for. 

“It looks like….a slave seal.” Naruto finally said.

“Slave? Orochimaru used to use those, but I’ve never seen one as complicated as this.” Sasuke asked.

“Yeah, I saw one like this while travelling. In the old days, seals like these were used by clans to control their enemies. When a rival clan lost to them, they would put these seals on them to prevent them from revolting and living out their lives as slaves to that clan.” Naruto muttered.

“But…” Naruto paused, turning the seal this way and that way, brow furling.

“But?” Sasuke asked.

“It’s made wrong? Like it’s too strong.” Naruto admitted.

“How can it be too strong?” Sasuke asked, curiously.

“Most slave seals at least allow the hosts to have some mental abilities. Like they can think for themselves, but this seal? It would make whoever wore it little more than a mindless puppet to be controlled. Does it say who it was for?” Naruto explained.

Sasuke pulled the second half towards him and paused. The text was mostly gone, years of wear and tear had made it difficult to read, but the closer he looked, the more he recognized the handwriting. 

“This handwriting. I recognize it.” Sasuke whispered.

“Really?” Naruto asked.

“It’s my father’s.” Sasuke replied.

He squinted a bit, staring at the paper before two words caught his attention. “Control” and “Kyuubi” stood out and Sasuke paled.

“Sasuke, you ok?” Naruto asked.

“It’s for you.” Sasuke replied.

“Me?” Naruto said startled.

“There’s only a small section I can read.” Sasuke lowered the scroll.

“Our time has come and with the completion of this seal, our control will be absolute. I have told my clan to start gathering their power. I have had two of them following the Kyuubi child. Once he is under our control, Konoha will fall.” Sasuke read.

They were silent, Sasuke staring at the words before him as Naruto sat there, worried.

“Sasuke?” Naruto called.

Sasuke lowered the scroll and looked away.

“When I found out the real reason Itachi killed our clan, I was so angry. I was angry at everyone; the village, Itachi, my clan. I couldn’t figure out which one to hate, but then I thought that if I was angry at the village, if I blamed the village and not my clan, it would make me feel better.” Sasuke ran his thumb over the scroll’s edge.

“This just shows I was angry at the wrong people.” Sasuke muttered.

Naruto placed a hand on Sasuke’s and he looked up.

“Your clan decided to do this, yes, but that doesn’t mean you have to hate them. Remember all the stories you told me. Remember all the good times. Yes, they were planning to do something horrible, but you don’t have to taint your memories of them because of it.” Naruto said slowly.

Sasuke nodded, but it was hard. Naruto pulled the scroll away and frowned.

“What do you want to do with this?” Naruto asked.

Sasuke took the scroll and stood up. He pulled open the door and stared out into the rain. It was slowing down, but not completely stopping. He threw the scroll up and before he had a second thought, used his Fireball Jutsu to burn it to ashes. As the ashes were washed away by the rain, he felt arms wrap around his waist and he just bowed his head, letting his tears fall as they stood there.

 

“Last house.” Naruto said.

“Last house.” Sasuke replied.

They stood before the final house and Sasuke winced. It was the biggest on the property and would no doubt take days to clean out. They pulled open the doors and Sasuke made a face when a rat scurried by their feet, making Naruto yelp. The house was at least five, maybe even ten times worse than the others. Floorboards were rotting or just straight up missing. There were holes in the walls and it looked like animals have been living inside, thanks to a broken window.

“Can’t we just burn this one down and start over?” Naruto asked, making a face.

“We came this far.” Sasuke replied.

“Oi!” someone yelled from outside.

Peeking out, Sasuke stared at the people before him. The Konoha 11 all stood before him, mops, brooms and other cleaning supplies in hand. The sight of so many people made his eyes water a bit and he turned away. Naruto pat him on the back and gave a wink.

“I thought we could use a bit of help.” Naruto said and Sasuke smiled.

“As long as they don’t break anything.” Sasuke replied.

The others came crowding into the house and while Naruto stood beside him, laughing at Shikamaru’s complaints about how much of a pain cleaning was, Sasuke couldn’t stop the hope that flooded his system. Sure, he was still technically on house arrest, but as long as Naruto was around, it didn’t seem too bad.

 


End file.
